Schools will be fined heavily for seeking donation

Updated on: Thursday, April 26, 2012

Most parents seem unaware of the RTE Act provision which safeguards them against the troubling practice of schools seeking donations.

As per the Right To Education Act, 2009, schools are prohibited from collecting a capitation fee. As per Tamil Nadu's RTE guidelines, “If any head master/principal/school authority receives capitation fee, he or she shall be punishable with fine, which may extend to ten times the capitation fee charged.”

Schools are also prohibited from subjecting a child or parents to a screening procedure. A headmaster/principal/school authority collecting capitation fee may be fined Rs. 25,000 for the first offence and Rs. 50,000 for every offence thereafter.

Going by parents' accounts of the harrowing experience of paying huge sums as donations in reputed institutes, the School Education Department might be able to collect a hefty fine. Very few parents however come forward to complain against schools that seek donations.

“If their identity is not revealed, maybe more parents will come forward to report errant schools,” said a mother who paid Rs. 50,000 to get her son admitted to a popular CBSE school.

The RTE Act help desk set up by the School Education Department has been looking into various aspects of implementation of the Act.

However, sources say the Cell has not taken up issues pertaining to donations yet. It has been left to the respective directorates to handle the issue. After an inquiry is conducted at the school, a fine will be collected if the complaint is found to be true.

Schools will be fined heavily for seeking donation

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